Power devices with semiconductor elements based on wide bandgap materials, such as SiC, provide low switching losses making them suitable for high frequency applications and low leakage currents for higher temperature operational requirements. For example, an SiC MOSFET provides very low losses at low currents compared to bipolar switches such as an Si IGBT.
However, at higher currents, SiC unipolar devices usually have a strong positive temperature coefficient, which may increase conduction losses at higher temperatures. These conduction losses even may increase with semiconductor elements rated with high voltage, due to the increased thicknesses of the n-base of the semiconductor element.